Amusement or exercising device



May 9, 1950 w. PRATT AMUSEMENT 0R EXERCISING DEVICE- 2 sheets-sheet `:1

Filed Jan. 51,` 1946 INVENTOR /4///o/? Pfaff,

BY I M f ATTORNEYS May 9, 1950 w. PRATT 2,506,890

AMUSEMENT 0R ExERcIsING DEVICE Filed Jan'. 51, 194e;v 2 sheets-Sheet 2iNvENToR ATTORNEYS Patented May 9, 1950 AMUSEMENT OR' EXERCISING DEVICEWilson Pratt, Salt Lake City., Utah; David Wilson- Pratt administratorof said Wilson Pratt, de-

ceasedv Application January 31, 1946, Serial No. 644,538

6 Claims.

This invention.y relates'. to improvements in hobby horses. or the like,and `more .particularly to a novel device designedtobe usedfor exerciseor pleasure `and which-'fsimulatesfthe action of va running horse.

One of the objectsof thei'nvention is to provide a deviceof.' thischaracter in which the simulation of the 'action ofi-a running horse maybe created by the rider whoshiits'his weight forward andy backward from`stirrup to saddle` and vice versa.

Another object isV to'- provide a device of this type which is ofsimple, inexpensive constructionA andA including adjustable means toenable the-'device to be adjusted Ato accommodate riders of variousweights.

With! the foregoing'objects` outlined and. with other objects in Viewwhich appear as the description proceeds, `the 'invention consists inthenovel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in the'accompanying:'drawings` and more particularly vpoint'ed'out in. theappended claims:-

In the drawings- Fig; 1 is a side elevation of an example of the device.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevationofthe same.

Referring to the drawings, it will be noted that the device consists ofthree essential parts, a" base 3, a seat 4 and connecting means 5 forsup-- porting the-seat above-the base.

The base" may be made-in any suitable way. For example, it may consisto'fa pair of angle irons 6, arranged side-byesideand spaced from oneanother by blocks l. Bolts t extend through the angle irons and blocks,to rigidly hold these parts together. ends of the angle irons andextending outwardly therefrom, may be employed for lateral stability.`

Each angle iron is provided intermediate its ends'with anA upstandingbracket lli, and each bracket is, pivotallyv connected tothe lower endof one of the front links li and one of the rear links' t2. The` frontlinks are preferably of angle iron construction and they are rigidly andadjustably connected to a vertical4 triangular plate or member t3, bymeans oi a bolt it or the like, which extends through an arcuate slot l5in the plate. Due to this construction, the plate can be set at variousanglesrelatively to the front links I l As will be seen from Figure; 1,the platev I3 is rockably mounted` on a `transverse pivot extendingbetween the spaced upstanding brackets It. A coil spring or elasticmeans I5 has itsA iront end nivo-tally connected to rear end ofthe plateI3, and its opposite end pivotally secured to a threaded-bolt I-,passing through a bracket I8, at the rear encloithe base, and-prom'vided with a nuty I9. Asthe nut bears against-the Cross arms 9, rigidwith the 2A i bracket, it* Will be obvious that turning of the nutwill.` cause tensioning-off. the spring. 1

The gure 2G off a hoj-rseor-tlfie` like isi provided internally with apair of. vertical plates 2l that are rigidly secured at 22 to-thebody-of the-horse.- The pair-oi'front links I l-,- together forma; mainstandard 'and are preferablyl providedl at their upper ends with acomm'on transverse bearing sleeve 23a which may be welded orotherwisersel cured tothe links andccoperate-with' a pivot pin 23 topivotally'connectthe standard to the plates 2l. The rear links lZ-Whichasvbeforestate'd; are pivoted at their lower ends to the brackets' Iii,are similarly connected at their upperv ends, to

" the respective plates 2|` by pivots-.24 and, to-

gether form a stabilizerwhich in cooperation with the mainstandard-maintain the -horsef in a substantially horizontal-position.

A second triangular plate 25 is.- rigidly connested to the upper` endsofthe links-I-I-'by rivets or the like, as indicated at1 2-6. Astirrup1mem ber 211 has an upper medial portion pivotally-connected tothe plate 2-5, as indicated at 28, and the end portions of thestirrup'member forms treadles 29 projecting from opposite sidesof thehorses body.

In operation, if the-rider `elects to'- go forward, he puts-his weightonthe treadles-291 and thus moves himself downward and forward. Aftergoing as far forward as desired, he sits backinv thesaddle-'or'seat@,releasing his weight'ffrom the stirrups and sincethe links I l-wou-ldbe working on a shorter fulcrum arm, the spring I6 returns himto-hisoriginal position, and he con' tinuescn backward, -d-ue--tov momentumand thefact that the linksv II have` a fulcrum arm acting tomakerthehorse go backward. vThe tension:

or spring i6 is such that 'itjust about balances the-rider intheposition as shown in Fig. 1. When the horse proceeds4 backward', thetreadles 29 will abut against the links IIv and thus advise the rider ofthev rearward limit of the horses motionl When the desired backwardmovement has-been-reached, the rider in` order to go forward, leansforward, putting his weight against the stirrups, which makes thefulcrum arm less than 'ifsitting lon the horse, and; therefore, he movesforward.- and upward through-'an arc. In other words, the rider; byshifting hisweight from the stirrups tothe saddle and vice versa,creates an unbalanced conditionwhich causes-movement of the supporting,means-5 about theA pivot point vor center Sli;

As the coil spring 'has its frontendpivotally connected to the rear'endofthe plate i3 andits.v

rea-r end pivotally secured to the bolt Il, the adjustrnent of the platerelative to the links I'I is of paramount importance, as far as the easeof operation is concerned.- A slight change of angle between thetrangular adjustableA plate and-the upright supporting members I l makesthe device either difficult or easy to operate. The included anglebetween the links il and the line of tension aorded by the spring mayvary between 9G degrees and 45 degrees.

It will be understood that as the horse moves forward or backward, itwill remain in a horizontal position, and the construction is such thatthe device may be used for amusement purposes or as an exerciser.

While I have disclosed the invention in connection with a hobby horse,it is obvious that the body 28 may be made to simulate other animals,birds, etc., or the seat 4 could be simply a chair,

From the foregoing, it is believed that the construction, operation andladvantages of the device may be readily understood, and while I havedisclosed what I now consider to be a preferred embodiment of theconception, I am aware changes may be made in the details disclosedwithout departing from the spirit of the invention, as expressed in thefollowing claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, a base, a standard fulcrumedon said base, a seat member pivotally mounted at the upper end of saidstandard, la stabilizer means for said seat. a pedal mechanism xed tosaid standard adjacent said seat and disposed forwardly out of verticalalignment with the fulcrum of said standard, a spring anchor bracketfixed to the fulcrumed end of said standard, and double acting springmeans extending between said bracket and said base, normally urging saidstandard to a neutral balanced position from either direction, whereby`a downward pressure on said pedal mechanism will offset the opposedtension of said spring and tend to throw said standard off balance,causing the seat member and standard to rock forwardly on its fulcrum,while a shifting of pressure from said pedal to said seat member willrelieve said spring tension land cause a reverse movement of said seatmember and standard.

2. In a device of the character described, a base, a main standard and astabilizing standard fulcrumed at their lower ends on said base, atlongitudinally spaced points, a seat member pivotally mounted at theupper end of said standards, said main standard having angularlydisposed brackets xed thereon adjacent its upper and lower ends, saidbrackets extending longitudinally of said base and projectingrespectively in opposite directions to points out of vertical alignmentwith the fulcrum of said main standard., spring means connected betweenthe projecting end of said lower bracket and a xed point on said base,its normal line of pull urging said main standard and seat member to aneutral balanced position on said fulcrum, said lower bracket, upon therocking of said standard, beingr arcuately movable in oppositedirections to shift the line of pull of said spring, alternately aboveand below said normal balanced line of pull, and a pedal memberpivotally suspended from the projecting end of said upper bracket,whereby a downward pressure on said pedal will offset the opposedtension of said spring and tend to throw said standard off balance,causing the seat member and standard to rock forwardly on its fulcrum,while a shifting of said pressure from said pedal to said seat memberwill relieve said spring tension and cause a reverse movement of saidseat member and said standard.

3. In a device of the character described, a base, a seat member, a mainstandard and a supplemental standard spaced from the main standard andfulcrumed on said base -and pivotally connected to said seat andsupporting the latter for longitudinal rocking movement on the base, adouble-acting spring anchor bracket xed to said main standard adjacentits lower end and projecting rearwardly beyond the fulcrum point of saidmain standard, spring means extending between the projecting end of saidspring anchor bracket and a fixed point on said base, normally urgingsaid main standard to a neutral balanced position on its fulcrum, apedal bracket xed to the upper end of said main standard and projectingforwardly out of vertical alignment with the fulcrum point of said mainstandard, and a pedal pivotally suspended from said pedal bracket anddisposed forwardly of said main standard, whereby a downward pressure onsaid pedal will oiTset the normal tension of said spring and tend tothrow said main standard off balance, causing said seat member andstandards to rock forwardly on their fulcruxns, while an alternateshifting of pressure from said pedal to said seat member will relievethe forward tension on said spring and cause a reverse movement of saidseat member and standards.

4. In a device of the character described, a base, a vertically disposedlongitudinally extending anchor bracket fulcrumed on said base, astandard xed at its lower end to said bracket and pivotally secured atits upper end to a seat member, means for stabilizing said seat member,said anchor bracket projecting longitudinally in one direction apredetermined distance beyond its fulcrum, spring means connectedbetween the projecting end of said -anchor bracket and a fixed point onsaid base, a pedal bracket fixed to the upper end of said standard andprojecting longitudinally of said frame in the opposite direction, and apedal pivotally suspended from said pedal bracket, whereby a downwardpressure on said pedal will offset the normal tension of said spring andtend to. throw said standard off balance, causing said seat member andstandard to rock longitudinally in one direction on said fulcrum, whilean alternate shifting of pressure from said pedal to said seat memberwill relieve the tension on said spring and cause a reverse rockingmovement of said seat member and standard.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, including means to adjust theposition of said lower bracket with respect to said main standard tovary the line of tension of Said spring with respect to the fulcrum ofsaid main standard.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said anchor bracket andstandard are relatively adjustable to permit variation of the line oftension of said spring with respect to the fulcrum of said anchorbracket.

WILSON PRATT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 348,513 Conover Aug. 3l, 1886974,194 Schulze Nov. 1, 1910 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 14,761Great Britain Nov. 13, 1886

